Our Team

The senior management team at Bellwether is committed to delivering results and maximizing value across all real estate asset classes and investment strategies for our clients.

Dennis Grzeskowiak

Principal

Joe Mossotti

Principal

Michael Baracco

Principal

Patrick Foley

Principal

David Chalison

Principal

Brian Abbott

Managing Director, Debt

Benjamin Easton

Managing Director,
Equity

Greg Fink

Managing Director,
Business Development

Carolyn Leslie

Managing Director, Equity

Mitch Magoshi

Managing Director,
Construction

Jonathan Shapiro

Managing Director,
Debt

Lauren Baker

Senior Vice President,
Investor Relations & Research

Branigan Buchfuhrer

Senior Director, Human Resources

Chris Carlson

Senior Vice President,
Structured Finance

Will Feltus

Senior Vice President,
Equity

Paul Kim

Senior Vice President,
Portfolio Management

Omar Vargas

Senior Vice President,
Controller 

Natalie Wozniak

Senior Vice President,
Technology

Jared Wright

Senior Vice President,
Underwriting

Ariel Cole

Vice President,
Debt

Patrick Cotter

Vice President, Capital Markets

Logan David

Vice President,
Equity

Daniel Fine

Vice President,
Equity

Andrew Han

Vice President, Portfolio Management

Eugene Lim

Vice President,
Portfolio Management

Gerson Monzon

Vice President,
Debt

Marc Mossotti

Vice President, Equity

Chantalle Rochel

Vice President,
Equity

Casey Schmidt

Vice President,
Equity

Ellie Trujillo

Vice President, Construction

Jason VanderYacht

Vice President, Risk Management

Alexa Bisbas

Director of Recruiting

Dennis Grzeskowiak

Principal

Mr. Grzeskowiak co-founded Bellwether in 2013 and has 20 years of experience in asset management and special servicing. At Bellwether, Mr. Grzeskowiak focuses on portfolio management and technology initiatives, with particular asset management expertise in debt as well as multifamily equity investments totaling over 33k units. Prior to forming Bellwether, he was Vice President of Asset Management at Trimont Real Estate Advisors, where he was responsible for a $2bn portfolio of performing and non-performing commercial real estate investments related to multiple property types throughout the United States. During his time at Trimont, Mr. Grzeskowiak developed a proprietary valuation cash flow model used to analyze over $30bn of debt and equity investments. Mr. Grzeskowiak has a B.A. in Economics and International Studies from Rhodes College.

Joe Mossotti

Principal

Mr. Mossotti co-founded Bellwether in 2013 and currently focuses on residential, corporate, development and hotel investments throughout the United States. Prior to founding Bellwether, he worked in the Asset Management / Portfolio Management group at JER Partners, a Washington D.C. based private equity firm. At JER, he was responsible for investment- and fund- level modeling as well as the disposition and workout of the remaining portfolio. Before joining JER, Mr. Mossotti worked at Billy Casper Golf Management. Mr. Mossotti holds a B.S. in Finance from Siena College, and is a licensed CPA.

Michael Baracco

Principal

Mr. Baracco has been a part of Bellwether since its inception and is currently responsible for asset management coverage of office and hotel investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a Senior Project Engineer at Lockheed Martin Corp. where he supported and ensured successful execution of multi-billion dollar contracts including satellites, flight modernization systems, and submarines. Mr. Baracco has an M.B.A. from the University of Denver and a B.S. in Physics from Washington & Lee University.

Patrick Foley

Principal

Mr. Foley joined Bellwether in 2014 and is currently responsible for coverage of corporate, development and residential investments in the United States. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was an associate at Cross Properties, a Philadelphia based multifamily developer. Mr. Foley has a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

David Chalison

Principal

Mr. Chalison joined Bellwether in 2016 and is responsible for supporting portfolio management functions for Bellwether’s institutional clients. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was Director of FP&A at Chronos Solutions, a Texas-based mortgage service company. Mr. Chalison received a B.S. in Finance from Santa Clara University and holds an M.B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.

Brian Abbott

Managing Director, Debt

Mr. Abbott joined Bellwether in 2023 and currently leads a team focused on debt asset management for Oaktree Capital. With over 20 years of commercial real estate experience prior to joining Bellwether, he most recently managed the corporate operations of Pacshore Partners, including overseeing management, leasing, and development aspects of the investment portfolio. Previously, he managed Gramercy Capital Corp.’s Los Angeles office and was directly responsible for operational management of a portfolio of specially serviced loans and REO assets. Brian earned a B.A. in Economics from The University of California at Los Angeles and an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at The University of Southern California. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is a licensed Real Estate Broker in California.

Benjamin Easton

Managing Director, Equity

Mr. Easton joined Bellwether in April 2014, after having spent two years at NMS Properties, a Los Angeles based multifamily company. Prior experience includes two years at Mesa West Capital, a Los Angeles based commercial real estate finance company. Mr. Easton began his career in Los Angeles working in brokerage in 2007. He holds a B.A. degree in International Business from Loyola Marymount University.

Greg Fink

Managing Director, Business Development

Mr. Fink joined Bellwether in 2021 and is primarily responsible for expanding the Bellwether client base of institutional investors, real estate sponsors and related entities. Greg has over twenty-five years of institutional finance, private equity, and real estate experience, most recently as Head of Capital Markets for Champion Real Estate, the Los Angeles based real estate developer and family office. Previously, he provided capital advisory services at Moss Adams Capital, was a member of the principal investment team at IHP Capital Partners and began his career at Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Fink holds an M.B.A from UCLA Anderson and an A.B. in art history and economics from Stanford University.

Carolyn Leslie

Managing Director, Equity

Ms. Leslie joined Bellwether in August 2020 and is primarily responsible for the asset management of west coast office investments.  She has twenty years of commercial real estate investment experience, most recently as the Director of Asset Management at Atlas Capital Group, a New York based owner and developer, and oversaw the redevelopment of ROW DTLA.  Before joining Atlas Capital Group, she was at Watt Companies as a Senior Asset Manager responsible for an office, retail and multifamily portfolio.  Ms. Leslie has a B.A in economics from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School.

Mitch Magoshi

Managing Director, Construction

Mr. Magoshi joined Bellwether Asset Management in 2018 after 15 years of experience in the construction industry. Prior to joining Bellwether, he most recently worked as a senior consultant with Gardiner & Theobald, Inc., an international construction project and cost management firm. Before joining G&T, Mr. Magoshi was a Construction Manager and Partner at Plant Construction Company, L.P., a leading general contractor in the San Francisco Bay Area. At Plant, he was involved in all aspects of the construction process from business development and preconstruction to project management and site supervision. Mr. Magoshi holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration with a minor in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jonathan Shapiro

Managing Director, Debt

Mr. Shapiro joined Bellwether in 2023 and currently leads a team focused on debt asset management across multiple clients. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a Director at Lightstone Capital, leading the debt asset management efforts for the company’s rapidly growing real estate debt platform. Previously, he was a loan originator at Revere Capital and Maxim Capital Group, and a debt asset manager at NorthStar Realty Finance Corp (NYSE: NRF). He holds a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University, and a M.S. in Real Estate Development from the New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate.

Lauren Baker

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Research

Ms. Baker joined Bellwether in 2018 and is currently responsible for delivering market, property type, investor and competitor research functions as well as leading client services functions. Prior to joining Bellwether, she worked at CoStar Group in the Analytics Division where she was dedicated to presenting, analyzing, forecasting, and consulting on various market trends. During her tenor at CoStar, she covered over 20 markets across the Southeast and the New York metro area. She has been quoted in Bloomberg, Globe St., National Real Estate Investor, Crain’s New York Business, Finance and Commerce, and many other media outlets for her work. Ms. Baker holds a B.S. in Finance, Marketing, and Management from the University of South Carolina.

Branigan Buchfuhrer

Senior Director, Human Resources

Mrs. Buchfuhrer joined Bellwether in 2022 and is responsible for leading all aspects of Human Resources. Mrs. Buchfuhrer has 15 years of HR experience, including 9 years acting as Head of HR in various industries. Most recently, Branigan acted as Head of HR at Ampaire, Inc., an aerospace company that developed and flew the first hybrid-electric aircraft. Previously, she acted as Head of HR to Moose Toys, a top 10 global toy company, and Puma Biotechnology, who developed a breast cancer drug and achieved FDA approval. In each role, she was responsible for developing, implementing, and managing end-to-end HR programs and HRIS systems, as well as contributing as a valued member of the leadership teams. Mrs. Buchfuhrer is PHR and SHRM-CP certified and holds a B.S. in Business Management from CSU Northridge.

Chris Carlson

Senior Vice President, Structured Finance

Mr. Carlson joined Bellwether Asset Management in July 2014 and is currently a Senior Vice President responsible for the performing residential whole loan strategy. He has fourteen years of experience in structured products and the secondary mortgage market. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a risk analyst with Western Asset Management, where he was responsible for analytics on a $50bn portfolio of whole loans, structured mortgage products and private corporate investments. Mr. Carlson began his career as a member of the Fannie Mae Analyst program in 2005. He has an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson and a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy from Washington & Lee University.

Will Feltus

Senior Vice President, Equity

Mr. Feltus joined Bellwether in 2019 and is currently responsible for multifamily investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was Director of Asset Management at Strata Equity Group, a private San Diego-based real estate investment company with $3bn in assets under management. Prior to that, he was a senior associate at Kettler, Inc, a multifamily development/investment firm based in Washington, DC. Mr. Feltus holds a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Business from Virginia Tech and a M.S. in Real Estate and Infrastructure from Johns Hopkins.

Paul Kim

Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management

Mr. Kim joined Bellwether in 2020 and is responsible for supporting portfolio management functions for Bellwether’s institutional clients. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a Vice President at CIM Group, a vertically integrated real estate investment company with $30bn in assets under management. Prior to that, he was a Director at Westchester Group, a Nuveen company. Mr. Kim holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science and a M.S. in Financial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Kim is a CFA charter holder and a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM).

Omar Vargas

Senior Vice President, Controller

Mr. Vargas joined Bellwether Asset Management, Inc. in 2018 and has over 15 years of professional experience. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was the Corporate Controller at Landmark Dividend LLC, a Los Angeles based real estate company. At Landmark Dividend, he was responsible for all aspects of the accounting, financial reporting, and asset management functions. Before joining Landmark Dividend, Mr. Vargas was an Audit Senior Manager at Deloitte, where he was responsible for overseeing various teams on real estate advisory services. Mr. Vargas holds a B.S. in Accounting from California State University, Long Beach, and is a licensed CPA.

Natalie Wozniak

Senior Vice President, Technology

Ms. Wozniak joined Bellwether in 2018 and is currently responsible for the development and maintenance of Bellwether’s information technology platforms. Prior to joining Bellwether, she worked at Zillow Group as a Data Integration Analyst responsible for cleansing, analyzing, transforming, and deploying residential data sets. Prior to that, she was a Data Warehouse Engineer at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a health insurance company based in Baltimore, MD. Ms. Wozniak holds a B.S. in Statistics from Loyola University Maryland.

Jared Wright

Senior Vice President, Underwriting

Mr. Wright joined Bellwether Asset Management in 2019 and is currently responsible for underwriting debt investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, he most recently worked as an underwriter at Money360, an Orange County based bridge lender that has completed over $1 Billion in transactions. Before joining Money360, Mr. Wright was a Commercial Real Estate Appraiser at Integra Realty Resources (“IRR”). At IRR, he was involved in appraisal and consulting projects of all different asset classes. Mr. Wright holds a B.S. Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from California State University, Fullerton.

Ariel Cole

Vice President, Debt

Ms. Cole joined Bellwether Asset Management in 2020 and is currently responsible for portfolio and debt asset management and analytics. Prior to joining Bellwether, she was an Associate with the originations team in the Commercial Real Estate group at Bank of America. She previously spent five years at Wells Fargo in the Middle Market Banking group in various roles, most recently as a Relationship Manager. Ms. Cole holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of La Verne.

Patrick Cotter

Vice President, Capital Markets

Mr. Cotter joined Bellwether in 2021 and is responsible for supporting capital markets functions for Bellwether’s institutional clients. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was an Associate at JLL in their Debt and Equity Capital Markets Group in New York. Mr. Cotter received a B.A. in Management Consulting and an M.B.A. with a concentration in finance from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

Logan David

Vice President, Equity

Mr. David joined Bellwether in 2017 and is currently responsible for coverage of hospitality and residential development investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, he worked at EY on the Transaction Real Estate team where he was involved with valuation, audit assist and due diligence work for nearly all asset types. Mr. David holds a B.S. in Hospitality Management from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

Daniel Fine

Vice President, Equity

Mr. Fine joined Bellwether in 2022 and is currently responsible for office investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was a Vice President at Arc Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based real estate private equity firm. Prior to Arc, he was a senior analyst at HRI Properties, a New Orleans-based developer and has also held positions at Watermark Capital Partners, a Chicago-based real estate investment advisor and JLL Hotels. Mr. Fine holds an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a B.S. in Hospitality Management from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

Andrew Han

Vice President, Portfolio Management

Mr. Han joined Bellwether in 2020 and is responsible for overseeing portfolio and property level reports, due diligence, and analytics. He has ten years of experience in FP&A and data analytics in commercial and single-family-rental real estate space. Prior to joining Bellwether, he oversaw and performed corporate level forecast at CIM Group. Mr. Han has a B.S. in Management Science from UC San Diego and an M.B.A from Babson College.

Eugene Lim

Vice President, Portfolio Management

Mr. Lim joined Bellwether in 2020 and is responsible for overseeing portfolio and property level FP&A and analytics. He has eleven years of experience in FP&A and analytics within the private equity real estate space. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was Manager of Strategic Planning & Analysis at CIM Group where he performed forecast processes across a multitude of investment types and fund structures. Mr. Lim has a B.A. in Economics from UC Riverside and an M.B.A from the Graziadio School of Business.

Gerson Monzon

Vice President, Debt

Mr. Monzon joined Bellwether in 2015 and is currently responsible for supporting debt investment and portfolio management for Bellwether’s institutional clients. Prior to joining Bellwether, he was an assurance professional within Ernst & Young’s real estate practice. Mr. Monzon has a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Accounting from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Marc Mossotti

Vice President, Equity

Mr. Mossotti joined Bellwether in 2019 and is currently responsible for coverage of corporate, development and residential investments in the United States. Prior to joining Bellwether, he served in the US Army for seven years as a Special Forces Medic. Mr. Mossotti has a B.S. in Finance from the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.

Chantalle Rochel

Chantalle Rochel

Vice President, Equity

Ms. Rochel joined Bellwether in 2018 and is currently responsible for coverage of office and industrial investments throughout the United States and Europe. Prior to joining Bellwether, she worked in the Capital Markets group at Cushman & Wakefield where she specialized in the analysis, lease-up and disposition of industrial buildings, adaptive re-use investments, and entitled mixed-use development sites. Ms. Rochel has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. She also received her Master of Real Estate Development degree from the University of Southern California, Price School of Public Policy.

Casey Schmidt

Vice President, Equity

Ms. Schmidt joined Bellwether Asset Management in 2020 and is responsible for the asset management of office, industrial and multifamily investments. Prior to joining Bellwether, she was a Senior Associate at Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD), where she was primarily focused on the acquisition of distressed assets across various markets and product types. Other responsibilities included CMBS underwriting and credit analysis for debt investments. Ms. Schmidt holds a B.B.A. degree with a concentration in Finance from McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

Ellie Trujillo

Vice President, Construction

Ms. Trujillo joined Bellwether Asset Management in 2021 after 10 years of experience in the construction industry. Prior to joining Bellwether, she most recently worked as a project manager at Kennedy Wilson overseeing multifamily and commercial construction projects. Before joining Kennedy Wilson, Ms. Trujillo worked in the Hawaiian market across multiple islands for Armstrong Builders. She focused on new build multifamily projects and large scale developments. Ms. Trujillo holds a B.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA from USC.

Jason VanderYacht

Vice President, Risk Management

Mr. VanderYacht joined Bellwether in May 2022 and is responsible for overseeing the insurance programs of Bellwether and its institutional clients. He has 15 years of experience in the insurance industry with a background in sales, claims and underwriting. Prior to joining Bellwether he was the risk manager for Caruso, a leading real estate development and management company in Southern California. Prior to that, he spent a decade as an insurance broker procuring insurance for commercial clients across North America. Mr. VanderYacht received a B.A. in Economics from Pepperdine University and holds a property & casualty insurance license.

Alexa Bisbas

Director of Recruiting

Ms. Bisbas joined Bellwether in 2022 and is currently responsible for all aspects of Recruiting. Prior to joining Bellwether, she was a Senior Corporate Recruiter at Irvine Company responsible for Development, Finance, Investments, Accounting, and IT full cycle recruiting. Prior to that, she was an Audit Associate at KPMG. Ms. Bisbas holds a B.A. in Psychology and Master of Accounting from the University of Southern California.